The Motivation to Start: Making Time for Your Health

Everyone knows the difficulty that arises in staying motivated when beginning a workout routine; however the goal to stay motivated is an essential part to any fitness regimen. Many start off with intentions of staying on track. To keep the light shining at the end of the tunnel, there are a few suggestions available.

Remember Goals

Because many aspects of fitness relate to past experiences and failures, it is always important to remember the current fitness goals set. Goal setting provides the path to the road ahead. In outlining fitness goals, realistic goals must be set. If it is necessary, start off small (losing 5 pounds, walking 5 minutes daily, etc.). There is no need to go too fast too soon. Keep this in mind when setting fitness goals. Additionally, do not measure set goals against another person's goals. Everyone is different. What may work for one may not work for another and vice versa.

Keep a checklist of fitness goals to provide a guide to look back on during the tough times. By marking off the checklist, there is a guide to be a goal reminder and a reflector of the path taken. You can develop the checklist into a contract. In this contract, statements noting positive and negative consequences, obstacles, emotions, and time factors are highlighted. Further, the contract can specify rewards to give once fitness goals are achieved (spa treatment, shopping, favorite treats). By signing a binding agreement, it solidifies the commitment made to fulfill goals.

Get a Partner or Support Group

Women are notoriously known to do things in pairs: going to the restroom, shopping, and more. Why not incorporate this into the workout routine? In doing so, there is someone there on the difficult days and encouragement on the "I don't feel like working out" days. This makes the fitness regimen a group effort; two are better than one.

Various support groups are available to women to stay on the fitness track. Denise Austin's website, www.deniseaustin.com, offers expert fitness advice as well as message boards and group support. Lisa Priestly's website, Well Coaches, offers online life-coaching that targets health, nutrition, fitness and stress. Furthermore, women find support through various community groups and fitness programs available in their areas. Locate support groups by enrolling in the local YMCA or by checking with local community centers.

Reflection Techniques

Reflection can be the best support. Look at the progress made during the fitness regimen and to the future. Remember what has been learned and that there is more to learn on the road ahead. Getting fit changes life's outlook. When positivity is the main focus, self-esteem and confidence are gained. No longer will the negative aspects of fitness engulf the mind. When one goal is achieved, another one will follow.

Also, keep in mind that when we look good, we feel good. By having the mental mindset of looking good, the drive exists to do what it takes for the body feel good. Thinking positive and remaining positive helps in maintaining a regular fitness regimen. The mindset is changed and is combined with the desire to stay fit and on track.

Keep fitness advantages in mind (nutritional, mental, emotional, psychological, and physical well being) to highlight that more than the body is being worked. The body as a whole is benefiting from a healthier lifestyle. Health benefits include decreased health diseases and increased energy levels. In having increased energy levels, there is more energy to complete life's other necessities.

Motivational Tools

Motivational tools are found in books, quotes, and other sources in the everyday world. Being surrounded by positive people (workout partner, for example) and motivational quotes can help to drive the negativity away and be a picker-upper on the down days. The YMCA, for example, is an excellent place to stay motivated and to meet with individuals who will help in staying on track. Connecting with others will strengthen social ties and aid fitness efforts.

Keeping a journal will also help on the fitness path. It allows for one to learn more about self as well as keep track of progress. It is the inner being talking to the physical person. In writing, an outlet exists to let it all out when there is no one to talk to or to go to. A journal brings into remembrance intended goals and beliefs that were set when the workout regimen began.

Discover spiritual practices that work. These include prayer, meditation, and bonding with nature. The practices involve releasing tension, stress, and doubt, which in turn, will dissipate the tendency to focus on negativity. Barbara Harris offers:

A fit body is only part of the equation for shaping a healthy life. The path to it is an internal journey as well as an external one. Nurturing your spirituality can profoundly affect your health and provide the serenity and self-awareness that the pace of our technology-driven society, information overload, and materialistic values often erode.

Find Your Niche

The workout niche includes the music listened to as well as the time of day the workout occurs. Listening to music that drives and pushes growth to the next level is a key to encouragement. Correspondingly, the workout time is a major factor. Chose a time that aligns with personality characteristics. For instance, if you are more productive in the mornings, make time in the mornings to complete a few quick minute workouts. If afternoons are busiest, keep in mind that an extensive workout routine would not fit into the afternoons.

Finding a workout niche allows the path to fitness to stay constant. What may work for one, may not work for another. Find the workout routine that best suits scheduling and personality; mix it up by varying your workouts to break an exercise plateau. Once the workout routine, goals, and genre are found, the concrete is laid to follow them all the way to the end.

Consult with your doctor before embarking on any exercise program

Sources:

-Priestly, Lisa. Well Coaches Website. www.wellcoaches.com
-Harris, Barbara. Shape Your Life. California: Hay House, Inc., 2003. 52, 130.
-Austin, Denise. www.deniseaustin.com